The Last Stop
by Evil Willow
Summary: Five years from now, Buffy and the rest of the Sunnydale gang have a really, bad day. R for language, violence and multiple character deaths.


Title: The Last Stop  
Author: Evil Willow   
Rating: R  
Category: Story/Angst/Adventure  
Spoilers: Up to season 5 of Buffy. Mostly the Glory/Dawn  
storyline and also The Body.  
Pairings: Buffy/Angel, Anya/Xander, Tara/Willow and also  
Spike/Buffy in a very bizarre way  
Disclaimer: Not mine. Joss runs the show, even if he doesn't do  
it well. No copyright infringement intended, blah, blah, blah... The Last Stop   
by Dave Matthews Band inspired the idea for the fic and the title. Again, it   
belongs to Dave and whoever else wrote the song.   
Keywords/Warnings: multiple character deaths, blood/gore/violence and angst  
Distribution: If anyone wants it, sure. Just let me know where  
it's going.   
Summary: Five years from now, Buffy and the rest of the  
Sunnydale gang have a really, bad day.   
Author's Notes: Blame it on Dave Matthews. I swear, the song  
inspired this idea months ago, I told the idea to go away. It wouldn't. This   
plot is twisted, it's depressing, but I had to write it for the sake of my sanity.   
I'd say it's darker than most of my stuff, so I'd be interested to know if anyone   
likes it at all... The lyrics to "The Last Stop" are at the end of the fic, I didn't   
want to do a songfic and break up the emotion of the story.  
Author's notes2: Buffy's Point of View  
Author's notes 3:  
***** = an undefined passage of time.   
%%%%% blah blah blah %%%% = flashback.  
Dedications: To Dru for encouraging me and being my awesome  
beta.   
  
====================================================================  
I can't believe my eyes as we drive down the street. It's pitch  
black outside, but it's only four p.m. Isn't it? I check my  
watch to be sure and yeah it is. So much has happened....  
  
Dawn. The Key. My sister. She set all of these things in motion.  
She runs off constantly, ever since Mom died five years ago. I  
guess she ran off again today, but how was I to know that if she  
did, things would be different this time? I guess she ran  
straight into Glory's path.   
  
I wasn't there to stop her, I wasn't even there to go out  
looking for her afterward. I was stupid enough to leave her at  
home... but she WAS nineteen. I thought... It doesn't matter what   
I thought now, this is just one more failure on a long list of them.   
  
I was in the magic shop with the others. I guess just as we were  
reading that stupid prophecy, it was coming true.  
  
%%%%%%%%%%  
Giles hands me the book. I read the article aloud. "Glory wishes  
to rule the earth, using demons as her source of power to help  
her do this. This is why she has been searching for The Key for  
thousands of years. The Key is an energy force, which, when used  
properly will open the hellmouth and free the demons to walk  
unrestrained upon the earth. There is an ancient prophecy which  
speaks of the day when Glory will find The Key in the possession  
of the Slayer. She will capture The Key and defeat the Slayer.  
This is what humanity has been dreading for thousands of years,  
for this will alow both Glory and all demons to have free reign  
over the earth."  
  
"Oh shit," I can't keep that from escaping my mouth as I look  
back up at Giles again.   
  
"That is one way of putting it," Giles agrees.  
  
"Why is it these prophecies never tell us WHEN these fights are  
gonna happen?" I ask. Not that I expect an answer.   
  
As if in answer to my question though, there's a loud explosion,  
followed by an earthquake. I didn't know Sunnydale had  
earthquakes. After we all get over the initial shock, we  
remember running for the doorways is a good idea. I don't know this   
but I do: Dawn's gone. Glory's got The Key.   
  
"Giles! What do we do?!" I yell as I try to stay on my feet.  
Again, I don't know what I'm expecting as an answer, but he's my  
watcher. I don't care if I am twenty-four, I still depend on him  
to tell me what to do.  
  
A crash of thunder drowns out anything he tries to say. I look  
out the window and see the dark storm clouds quickly moving in.  
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%  
  
There have been several earthquakes since then. Buildings are  
collapsing throughout the city. That isn't the worst part,  
though. The worst part is the demons. There are hundreds...  
possibly thousands... of demons running through the streets,  
setting everything still standing on fire. The fire gives the  
city sky an eerie glow. To top off the image, there are people   
everywhere, too. They run around in a panic, screaming, being   
murdered by the demons, right in front of me.   
  
Whoever said 'This is the way the world ends...not with a bang  
but a whimper' really didn't get that right at all. This is  
a pretty big bang and I know it's not even close to being over  
yet.   
  
"WHY don't they just stay in their homes?" I ask. "I can't save  
them all!"   
  
"Of course you can't," Giles says. He puts a comforting hand on  
my arm without removing his eyes from the road. Guess he doesn't  
want to run over anyone...not anyone with a soul, anyway. "Your  
main concern has to be stopping Glory, Buffy."   
  
"HOW?" I demand. Giles just shakes his head. I was afraid of  
that.   
  
"If this is the end... I'm glad it was over more quickly for  
Dawn," I say as I look back out my window again.   
  
I can see in the rear view mirror that Xander and Anya are still  
behind us in his car. That comforts me, somewhat. At least we'll   
all be together. Almost all of us anyway. But I am glad Angel's   
not here. I would rather know he's safe. For now anyway. I doubt   
anyone with a soul is going to be safe for too long, if I can't   
stop Glory.  
  
**************  
  
I make a quick check to reassure myself that everyone is still  
intact. We got out of our cars and started walking. The general  
plan was make Glory come to us. Well we got the demons to come  
to us, but so far no sign of Glory.   
  
I don't know how long we've been fighting. Hours? Days? There's   
no sense of time when the sun won't come up. My watch was ripped   
off my arm during a fight with a Mohra demon. I consider myself lucky  
that my arm wasn't ripped off along with it.   
  
We're in a cemetery near the Bronze now. I look over to the  
south entrance after I behead a slime demon. Xander and  
Anya have stationed themselves at that entrance to hold off any   
demons from getting in the cemetery. Willow and Tara are about   
fifty feet away from me in the other direction. A group of vampires   
are keeping  
them busy.   
  
Where's Giles? Oh, there, about a hundred feet away. He just  
beheaded a ...something. Oh shit, no. "GILES! BEHIND YOU!" I  
yell as the Chaos demon approaches him from behind. I take  
off toward him but I have the sinking feeling that I won't get  
there in time. Oh god, no. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Giles turns around  
and the demon buries a sword in his stomach.   
  
"GIIIIIIIIIILES" I trip and fall to my knees, and I feel like  
I've been stabbed too. I don't even have time to process the  
whatever that tackles me, before it disappears in a cloud of  
dust. I roll over and forget to breathe when I see who saved me.  
  
"Angel?"   
  
He reaches out a hand to help me up and I take it.   
  
"How?!"   
  
"Cordelia. Vision," Angel replies in typical terse  
Angel-fashion. "I wish I'd gotten here sooner," he adds with a   
sad expression as he looks around. I won't look back at Giles.   
He's dead, I know it. Instead, I look in the other direction and   
I see that Cordelia, Wesley, and another man I've never met, an   
African-American, have joined the fight.   
  
"Doesn't matter," I reply. "You guys are here now, and you're  
definitely needed."   
  
"NO! Leave him alone!"   
  
My heart stops at the sound of Anya's scream. I turn and run in  
the direction of her voice, as fast as I can run. I ignore the  
voice in my head that's telling me they're a good five hundred  
feet away and there's no chance I'll reach them in time. I WILL.  
I HAVE TO! I WON'T watch that happen again. I can save some of  
them, damn it!   
  
Xander's lying on the ground. Please don't be dead. Jump up,  
smile that smile that makes my life seem like it's half-way  
worthwile, please!  
  
Anya is pissed and you don't piss off an ex-vengeance demon. She  
tackles the vampire that apparently attacked Xander, knocking him   
to the ground. She stakes him without seeming to expend too much   
effort.   
  
"LOOK OUT BEHIND YOU!" I scream at her. She rolls out of the way  
as a very ugly blue demon with horns swings a sword at her.   
  
"NO! XANDER, DON'T!" I yell in horror as Xander jumps on the  
demon's back and is brushed off like a fly. Thank God I'm almost  
there.   
  
"FUCK!" I scream as about twenty vampires charge me out of  
nowhere. "DAMN IT ALL!" I yell; I have to stop and fight them. I  
watch out of the corner of my eye as the blue demon turns back to  
Anya and slices her in two. Oh god, I didn't know Xander could  
scream like that.   
  
Everything seems to go into slow motion at that point. Stake, punch,   
kick, stake ... I look over to Xander in time to see him run at the   
demon, who grabs him and picks him up. Xan is thrown onto a  
headstone and I hear the sickening snap as his back is broken.   
  
The vampires are dust. But I was too late for it to matter.   
  
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"   
  
Was that my voice?   
  
Somehow I've ended up on my knees again.   
  
Why is my face wet?   
  
"THIS ISN'T HAPPENING!" I scream to the sky.   
  
"WILLOW!" That was Tara's voice. Dear God. How much more do I  
have to take? I turn to look at the two witches and sigh with  
relief when Wesley steps in to kill the Chaos demons who are  
attacking them.   
  
I hear laughter.   
  
Glory.   
  
Glory laughing.  
  
I jump to my feet and turn to look. She's perched on top of a  
headstone nearby, smiling.   
  
"ARE YOU ENJOYING THIS, YOU PSYCHO BITCH?!" I yell as I  
approach. "Is this how you get your opportunity to reign? By  
creating this war against humans? Do you HONESTLY think that  
you'll have any kind of peaceful world this way?"  
  
"Who wants peace?" Glory shrugs. "I just like to see the rain of  
tears. Pain and suffering is so enjoyable to watch."  
  
"The ONLY pain and suffering is gonna be yours, because you CAN'T   
WIN!" I close the distance between us and swing my axe. Axe? I look   
over to see Angel running off again. Oh. He handed it to me and I   
didn't even notice. I smile gratefully at him when he glances back   
at me.   
  
Then I return my attention to Glory. I swing my axe again but   
Glory grabs the handle. She throws it and me fifty feet away.   
Ouch. I think that's a sprained ankle.   
  
"I already won, Little Girl," Glory says in reply to my earlier   
statement. She slides off the headstone and to her feet. "All you   
silly humans need to do is accept that I am the new ruler of this   
earth, or you can die. It's your choice, either one is fine with me."  
  
The fury overtakes me. I run at Glory but she kicks out. She makes   
contact with my stomach and I go down again. Before I can recover,   
there's another powerful kick and I feel at least two ribs break. I   
grab her foot though before she can pull back. I pull her off balance;   
she shrieks as she falls uncermoniously on her ass.   
  
I have to laugh at that. I jump to my feet. "You should do  
something about your sense of balance. And by the way, Glory,  
about that little prophecy? It's not coming true. You will NOT  
rule the earth."  
  
"Oh?" Glory gets to her feet and grabs my neck. I can't pry her  
hands off as she lifts me off my feet. She laughs and throws me  
against the wall of a crypt. Okay. Dislocated shoulder that  
time.   
  
"Who's going to stop me?" Glory asks as she comes closer.  
  
"I am," I gasp as I get to my feet slowly and painfully. "It's  
what I do. I'm the Slayer, I kill evil. You're evil, therefore  
I'm going to kill you."   
  
Glory stops in her tracks and laughs. "I know, I know. 'In every  
generation', yadda, yadda yadda..." She shrugs. "Do you KNOW how  
many slayers I've seen killed, in the past two hundred years  
alone? You're nothing different, Buffy. I'll prove it to you. If you  
were so special, you would be able to stop that." She points. I  
don't want to look. I can't. Please.   
  
I look.  
  
"Oh, God, no." I gasp.   
  
Cordelia, Wesley, and their friend are lying dead, by the north   
entrance to the cemetary. A good two hundred feet away from me.   
Near them are Angel, Tara and Willow. Angel is trying to protect   
the girls from a pack of about twenty werewolves. He's bleeding from   
a gash in his side and another one in his leg... and all he has is an   
axe with which to defend them.   
  
"DON'T DO THIS!" I yell at Glory. "DON'T LET THIS HAPPEN!" I  
feel the tears streaming down my cheeks but I don't care. I know  
I can't save Angel, Tara and Willow. Maybe one, but not all  
three of them. And I won't even make that decision, it would kill me.   
I'll convince... beg Glory, if I have to. She's the only one who can   
stop it all.   
  
"It's not my concern," Glory replies, folding her arms over her  
chest. Her expression is completely indifferent. "It's what makes me   
a god the demons respect, Slayer. I let them do their thing, they help   
me rule."   
  
"What about us?!" I ask.   
  
"You think I care about humans? There's no purpose for you,  
all you know is selfishness, and evil. You're worse than demons, you   
know; you're as evil as them, but you try to pretend otherwise. So I   
prefer the demons, they're more basic. Simple. Honest." Glory says as   
she circles me. "Does that make me a 'bad god'?" She airquotes the   
last two words. "I don't think so, Dear. I just treat you the way you   
deserve to be treated.  
  
"Don't you want to see your love's last moments, though, Buffy?" Glory  
adds with a smile.   
  
I can't. I'd rather die.   
  
But I can't not watch, either.   
  
The werewolves all jump at Angel and the girls, as ten vampires come out   
of nowhere to join the attacke. I scream and run toward them. I'm almost   
there, please, God. Don't do this to me. Fifty feet away and both Tara and   
Willow go down, werewolves tearing at their throats. A sob escapes me and   
I scream. "NOOOOOOOOO!" I run faster, but I know...  
  
Angel is tackled by a vampire; he snaps its neck easily and  
jumps to his feet again. NO! Don't look at me! Watch out-- "GOD,  
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" A vampire buries a stake in Angel's back.   
There is a moment when our eyes meet; I swear I hear the words,  
"I love you." Then he's gone.   
  
I hear a scream and I think it's mine. I double over and grab my  
stomach, I think I'm going to be sick. I'm sure my heart is  
broken; I want to be dead too. Why am I not dead? Why do I  
have to live?  
  
"NOOOOO! THIS ISN'T REAL!" I sob. "WHERE ARE ALL OF YOU HIGHER POWERS?!   
FUCK YOU FOR NOT STOPPING THIS!"   
  
Glory's laugh brings me back to the present.   
  
"You are going to die for this," I promise, as I try to pull myself back   
together.  
  
"Isn't that line getting tired, Little Girl? I realize it's hard  
to let go of being The Chosen One, but it's over, Buffy. This is  
the last stop." With that, Glory turns to go.   
  
"WHERE ARE YOU GOING, BITCH?!"   
  
"Where am I going???? I'm leaving, Buffy. I'm through, I've done what I   
needed to do in order to win this game. You may go. I'm not worried  
about you, you won't be any trouble for me... not anymore." Glory  
replies with a smile.   
  
"WHAT?!"   
  
"Tell me I'm wrong. Tell me you have anything left to fight  
for," Glory challenges me.  
  
"I... I..." I look around me. The bodies. The remains of the  
only man I ever loved. The body of the man who was more of a  
father than my biological father. The bodies of all my  
friends... No. More than friends. Family. These are the only   
people left that I love.  
  
But they're all dead, casualties of war. A war they were never   
supposed to be part of. A war I got them involved in. So it all   
comes down to this: it's my fault they're dead. I might as well have  
killed them myself. A sob is torn from my throat as I start  
crying again.  
  
"That's what I thought," Glory says. She turns to go. I watch  
her, but I don't move. Glory can go. I don't care. There's  
nothing left. No point.   
  
This is the last stop.  
  
************  
  
I don't know how long I sit in the cemetery by Angel's ashes,  
crying. I slowly come to the realization that no other demons  
are coming for me. Glory just wanted to take away my reasons for  
fighting, she didn't even care enough to kill me and put me out of   
my misery.   
  
So I guess this isn't the last stop then. Not quite. I stand and look  
one last time at Angel's ashes. "If there is a higher power out  
there, I'll be joining you soon, My Love."  
  
  
I don't have to try too hard to find him. He is a creature of  
habit. "I'm ready to dance."   
  
He's watching his stupid television of course. I would find it funny   
if I could even manage a sense of humor right now. Spike was watching  
television while the hellmouth opened. Go figure.   
  
He looks behind himself at me finally. He doesn't seem to have  
registered what I said. Shit, I don't feel like saying it again.  
Just take away all the pain, please.  
  
He gets up from his chair and walks over to me. I catch a flash of  
sympathy, just a flash, as he looks down at me. Then it is  
replaced by the patented Spike-smirk, "End of the world happened  
finally, huh?"  
  
"Where were you?" I ask. Stupid question.   
  
"I was right here, Pet. Watching the telly."   
  
I nod. I should probably be upset about that. I actually thought  
he was ... not a friend, but at least an ally. I even accepted the  
fact that he ... loves me. It still creeps me out, but it's a fact  
I can't change.   
  
Besides, he's proven his loyalty to me, or so I thought. He got  
the chip removed two years ago. I'm the only one who knows about  
it. We were sparring one day and he got a good punch in. He b roke  
my nose and didn't even flinch. I put a stake to his chest of course.   
I promised him that if he ever so much as looked the wrong way at  
me or any one of my loved ones, I'd stake him. He promised to behave   
and I took a chance he was trustworthy. He's almost made me believe   
that I could trust him, over the last two years; he's fought by my   
side through so many battles.   
  
Except this one. But what was I supposed to expect? Thinking  
rationally now, I was stupid to believe his 'love' for me would  
change who he is, fundamentally. He is Spike. He is a soulless  
demon. There's no conscience here, just selfishness. The only reason   
he hasn't killed me or the others is because he thought if he  
behaved he could have me some day.   
  
I guess he was right, because I can't find the energy to be upset  
with him for not helping us tonight. It wouldn't help to be upset,  
anyway. It wouldn't change anything. Angel, Willow, Tara, Xander,   
Anya, Giles, Dawn... They'll still be gone. I'm the only one left   
to bear the pain. Well, I don't want it. I want it to go away.   
Spike can make it go away.  
  
He's still watching me, half afraid that I'll beat him up and  
dust him. Well I'm glad there's still one creature left on this   
earth that's afraid of me.   
  
"Doesn't matter," I say with a shrug. "It's all over, Spike.  
There's nothing left here for me. Just promise me you won't  
bring me back. I want this to be the last stop."   
  
Spike smiles. "I think I can arrange that, Luv." He pushes me  
back against the wall as he vamps out. I don't fight him, I'm  
not afraid. I'm ready. "It's a shame," he says as he takes my  
face in his hands almost tenderly. "I was beginning to think  
nothing would break you. What did it?"  
  
"They're all dead," I reply, almost a whisper. I have to close  
my eyes to shut out the pain. "Dawn. Giles. Willow. Xander.  
Tara. Angel," The last name comes out in a sob.   
  
"Ah." That's Spike's profound response.   
  
I open my eyes, surprised he hasn't got some snarky comment about  
anything I just said. But there's no triumph in his eyes, and that   
makes up my mind for good. "Just do it," I say. "I'm not  
going to change my mind."   
  
"Don't have to tell me twice," Spike shrugs. He lowers his face  
to my throat and I feel his fangs graze my throat. I can't help  
the shudder in reaction. He tightens his hands on my arms and  
sinks his teeth into my neck. I don't even feel pain. I'm  
surprised at that. I just feel relief. Relief that soon it will  
all be over. I've gotten nothing but pain and agony for my  
loyalty to The Cause. Let another slayer try to clean up the  
mess.  
  
He pulls away after quite some time. I'm still alive, barely,  
but I can feel the darkness moving in. "Such a shame," he says  
as I slip to the floor. "So long, Slayer. It's been fun. Now I  
gotta find that Glory and thank her for agreeing to let me have  
that dance...." Spike chuckles and walks outside, whistling  
happily.  
  
I lay here, darkness creeping in, and all I can think is: That  
fucking son of a bitch.  
  
&&&&&&&&&&  
The End  
  
Last Stop - Dave Matthews Band  
Fire  
The sun is well asleep  
The moon is high above  
But fire grows from the East  
  
And how is this  
Hate so deep?  
Lead us all so blindly, killing, killing  
Fools are we  
If hate's the gate to peace  
This is the last stop  
  
For raining tears...  
  
War  
The only way to peace?  
Well, I don't fall for that  
  
Raining tears  
  
You're righteous, so righteous, so righteous  
You're always so right  
Go ahead and dream  
Go ahead believe that you are the chosen one.  
  
Raining tears...  
  
Oh no  
Gracious even God  
Bloodied on the cross  
Your sins are washed enough  
  
A mother's cry:  
"Is hate so deep  
Must my baby's bones  
This hungry fire feed?"  
  
Smoke clouds roll in  
The symphony of death  
This is the last stop.  
  
Scream  
Right is wrong now  
Ha - shut up your big lie  
This black and white lie  
  
You comb your hair to hide  
Your lying eyes  
You're righteous, so righteous, so righteous  
You're always so right  
  
But why your lie  
Go ahead and dream  
Go ahead believe that you are the chosen one  
This is the best stop.  
  
Here there's always blowing up  
And I hope that we can break it down  
So it's not so black and white  
This is the last stop.  
  
Here there's more than showing up   
And I hope that we can break it down  
So it's not so black and white  
Black and white  
You're righteous, you're righteous, you're righteous  
You're always so right  
  
And there you are nailing good to a tree  
And then you say forgive me, forgive me  
Go ahead and dream  
Go ahead believe that you are the chosen one  
This is the last stop...  
  
Here there is more than growing up  
And I hope that we can break it back  
It's not so black and white  
So right... 


End file.
